"I hope you take apple pie as payment."
He leaned in for another kiss, stroking her honey-gold hair from her face, wishing the aluminum chair could hold both of them. If it could, he'd try to convince her to abandon the excursion entirely.
He sneaked a glance at her long bare legs, and the top she wore tied in a knot under her breasts. Mia was way more tempting than Eve had been with the first apple in existence. Was it any wonder he didn't want to go anywhere but the bedroom?
Still, as much as he wanted to spend a naked afternoon with her, he didn't want her to think they were only about sex. It was always great sex. Better every time actually.
But he'd convinced Mia they could make this long-distance thing work, and he was determined not to be wrong.
"Come on, slacker." Luke extended his hand to help her out of the chair. "We can't spend all day making out. There are apples waiting for us."
"Well, let's go rescue them then."
When she stood up in front of him, the joy on her face made Luke's heart jump and skip and do all kinds of crazy things. Things it only did when she was near. Or when he thought about her, wishing she was near.
Before he could puzzle it all out, there was a barrage of barking noises from the neighbor's yard.
"Hellboy," they both said at the same time.
"He doesn't like being on that side of the fence," Luke commented. "He seems to think he belongs over here, with us."
Mia gnawed at her lip. "I feel terrible. Sondra says he's always whining and scratching at the door whenever we're over here. And the rest of the week he mopes around."
Luke wrapped his arms around Mia's waist, unable to resist any chance of having her close. "Let's go see if we can arrange a visitation with him later on today."
"Yes!" She planted a kiss on him that nearly made Luke forget what they were talking about. "In fact, why don't we take Hellboy with us? To show him what the rest of the world is like."
"That's a great idea." Luke chuckled. "He'll be so happy, I bet he tries to get permanent custody of us."
***
H ellboy was not at all happy with them.
After some searching on the internet, Mia had found an apple orchard that allowed dogs, so long as they were on a leash. Luke thought it sounded like a great idea, and he'd run out to buy one so Hellboy could join their outing.
Unfortunately it was Hellboy's first attempt at being on a leash, and it was clear from his growls and whines he meant for it to be the last.
Luke wasn't sure what to do. There was no way he could leave the hellhound in the car. And he didn't want to head home before Mia got to enjoy the day.
He knelt down and scratched behind the dog's ears. "Maybe he'd like this better if he knew it was made from the same stuff as his 'shoe toys'."
Mia chuckled. "I'd let him chew on it, but then he might make an escape."
"Oh, he definitely would. Wouldn't ya, buddy?"
Hellboy shook his head, hard, as if it would dislodge the restraint. He also shot a look of betrayal in Luke's direction.
"I'm sure not his favorite person right now." Luke stood up. "If he still hates it in a little while, I'll carry him. He's just the tiniest ball of fur, no matter how fierce he thinks he is."
Mia gave Luke a brief kiss. "You're the best."
"Second only to you," he replied with a smile.
Hellboy gave a little ruff of protest.
Mia grinned at the cranky pup and then studied the map they'd been given. She turned to get her bearings and pointed at a distant stand of trees marked with a red flag. "I think the Honeycrisps are over there. Those are always my favorite."
Luke shaded his eyes with one hand while he glanced around the orchard. "We'll still need something for the pie. Macintosh is a good choice. Or Macoun."
"You mean pies," Mia added, her eyes twinkling as she drew out the "s". "If we make one, we might as well make several."
"You're going to work me to death this weekend, aren't you?"
"You have no idea. And then I'll have you in the kitchen making tons of
He leaned in for another kiss, stroking her honey-gold hair from her face, wishing the aluminum chair could hold both of them. If it could, he'd try to convince her to abandon the excursion entirely.
He sneaked a glance at her long bare legs, and the top she wore tied in a knot under her breasts. Mia was way more tempting than Eve had been with the first apple in existence. Was it any wonder he didn't want to go anywhere but the bedroom?
Still, as much as he wanted to spend a naked afternoon with her, he didn't want her to think they were only about sex. It was always great sex. Better every time actually.
But he'd convinced Mia they could make this long-distance thing work, and he was determined not to be wrong.
"Come on, slacker." Luke extended his hand to help her out of the chair. "We can't spend all day making out. There are apples waiting for us."
"Well, let's go rescue them then."
When she stood up in front of him, the joy on her face made Luke's heart jump and skip and do all kinds of crazy things. Things it only did when she was near. Or when he thought about her, wishing she was near.
Before he could puzzle it all out, there was a barrage of barking noises from the neighbor's yard.
"Hellboy," they both said at the same time.
"He doesn't like being on that side of the fence," Luke commented. "He seems to think he belongs over here, with us."
Mia gnawed at her lip. "I feel terrible. Sondra says he's always whining and scratching at the door whenever we're over here. And the rest of the week he mopes around."
Luke wrapped his arms around Mia's waist, unable to resist any chance of having her close. "Let's go see if we can arrange a visitation with him later on today."
"Yes!" She planted a kiss on him that nearly made Luke forget what they were talking about. "In fact, why don't we take Hellboy with us? To show him what the rest of the world is like."
"That's a great idea." Luke chuckled. "He'll be so happy, I bet he tries to get permanent custody of us."
***
H ellboy was not at all happy with them.
After some searching on the internet, Mia had found an apple orchard that allowed dogs, so long as they were on a leash. Luke thought it sounded like a great idea, and he'd run out to buy one so Hellboy could join their outing.
Unfortunately it was Hellboy's first attempt at being on a leash, and it was clear from his growls and whines he meant for it to be the last.
Luke wasn't sure what to do. There was no way he could leave the hellhound in the car. And he didn't want to head home before Mia got to enjoy the day.
He knelt down and scratched behind the dog's ears. "Maybe he'd like this better if he knew it was made from the same stuff as his 'shoe toys'."
Mia chuckled. "I'd let him chew on it, but then he might make an escape."
"Oh, he definitely would. Wouldn't ya, buddy?"
Hellboy shook his head, hard, as if it would dislodge the restraint. He also shot a look of betrayal in Luke's direction.
"I'm sure not his favorite person right now." Luke stood up. "If he still hates it in a little while, I'll carry him. He's just the tiniest ball of fur, no matter how fierce he thinks he is."
Mia gave Luke a brief kiss. "You're the best."
"Second only to you," he replied with a smile.
Hellboy gave a little ruff of protest.
Mia grinned at the cranky pup and then studied the map they'd been given. She turned to get her bearings and pointed at a distant stand of trees marked with a red flag. "I think the Honeycrisps are over there. Those are always my favorite."
Luke shaded his eyes with one hand while he glanced around the orchard. "We'll still need something for the pie. Macintosh is a good choice. Or Macoun."
"You mean pies," Mia added, her eyes twinkling as she drew out the "s". "If we make one, we might as well make several."
"You're going to work me to death this weekend, aren't you?"
"You have no idea. And then I'll have you in the kitchen making tons of
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